Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-11-18
CHAPTER XXX
Nor ALL A DREAM.

Fnirfax had been dreaming. He stood
on q barren, rocky islet in mid-ocean- An
about him was a wild, wide waste Of de-
serted, sunllt watcrs-not q sail, not cloud,
not bird, nor fish, nor any living thing in
sight Only the endless, boundless, ever
lasting stretchof sea and the solid, scorch-
ing rock beneath his feet
He knew not how he came there, nor why.
To him time and space had no beginning
nor end. Past and future there was none
only one eternal noe.
Like the ancient mariner, he was "alone
on q wide, wide sea-" but with no other
facts, no other data, no other knowledge OF
any thing save Of himself, Arthur Fairfax,
and this blistering, barren rock and that
vast, silent, glazing wilderness Of waters,
met on all sides by heavens Of brassy hue.
Here he stood, stony-hearted, passlonless,
quiet as the rock itself and as motionless,
staring out over that horrible sea-salt plain,
with fixed, expressionless eyes.
There came no morn, no noon, no night;
but one never-ending, unchanging day.
Time was not
It might have boon day, 1t might have
been month. year, q century-he knew
not, nor oared-but at last there rose, far,
far away on the uttermost, EXTREMIST verge
Of tho horizon, a feeble, upward-crawling
line Of smoke, which came near and nearer,
and grew dense and yet more dense. On II
rolled with ever-increasing rapidity, until n
rushed ahead with lightning speed.
Within, and almost hidden by this mighty,
roaring column, belching forth fro and
smoke, he detected the outlines OF vessel
Straight toward the rocky islet. straight
towards himself II came, with unerring, M
swerving course.
Now he saw and recognized II.
1t was the 'Namovna," envelopedin rag.
ing sheet OF fame that shot upwards and
backwards, roaring and laundering with
terrific sound, and, high in tho farthest
tip Of the yet unscorched bow stood Natalie,
IN speechless horror, hor snow-white arms
stretched nppealingly toward him.
Nearer and swifter, yet, swept on TINT
frightful, rolling pillar Of Are, the sea boll-
ing and seething In its track and vast
clouds Of white steam arising and inter-
mingling with It's million blazing tongues
and smoke Of inly blaclness.
With an almost Incredible suddenness II
stopped It's headlong speed short distance
from the rock, and at once began quickly TO
sink.
buIlOhCh eCAAOAs ~A'N
back over tho thunderous roar rang tho
piercing cry
"Save me Save me | o, Arthur, save mei'
His soul on FIRE, his strength nervcd
10 utter desperation, no leaped far out from |
the crags over tho sea, and struck---not
the water, but cold edrtM
In m instant no had ayakened from sleep
and found himself standing Greet, with
nerves and muscles strained TO their ut
most tension, his arms extended rigid from
his side, his head bent eagerly forward,
like one alert from fear. Every nerve
tingled with horror. And his ear could
have caught tho funniest possible whisper.
What was III What did 1t meant The
cold sweat stood out in great beads over
his forehead, and 1t seemed to him he could |
yet hear that piercing cry for help ringing |
FAR along the shore and in the woods.
II ever man was thoroughly awake, no
noW WIS - 49, 4-e--a-- z---- '